Pickling machine



Jan. 6, 1931. c. T. HAINES 1,737,320

PICKLING IACHINE Filed Sept. 10. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INYENTO k4 HTTORNEYJ Jan. 6, 1931. c. 1'. HAINES 1,787,820

PICKLING MACHINE Filed Sept. 10, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q6 4' i 50 43 5 a 4 TTORNL' vs Patented Jan. 6, 1931 CHARLES '1'. HAINES, 0] YOUHGS'I'OWN, OHIO rrcxmno Application filed September 10, 1888, Serial 89.391580.

' My invention relates to the art of pickling sheets, bars, pipes and other like articles as commonly practised in the steel and allied industries, and is more particularly directed 6 to the provision of an improved form of machine adapted for that purpose.

Various sorts of machines have heretofore been employed in such pickling operations, among which may be mentioned machines of the type disclosed in U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,656,693, granted January 17, 1928 to William J. Cook and which comprise companion tanks adapted to contain the pickling liquid and in which the articles to be pickled are suspended in crates or baskets each supported from a separate carrier; these carriers in turn are supported at their ends on rocker armsor walking beams respectively disposed adjacent the ends of the tanks, extending transversely thereof and pivoted for oscillation on an axis disposed between the tanks,

suitablemeans being also provided for imparting an oscillating or rocking movement to the rocker arms or walking beams with the result that the crates in the tanks are alternately raised and lowered in an arcuate path when the machine is in operation.

Pickling machines such as those to which l have just referred require for satisfactory operation that the loads in the two crates or baskets be of substantially e ual weight so as to properly balance the mac ine, avoid the expenditure of an undue amount of operating power and prevent jerky and lrreigular operation which, when there is a marked difference in the weight of the loads, sometimes becomes so great as to throw the ends of the carriers out of engagement with their bearings in the rocker arms. Under practical conditions of factory operation, however, this requisite balancing of the loads in the two crates is diflicult to attain for the crates are loaded separately, usually at. some point in the plant remote from the pickllng machine,

means of a crane or other mechanism and disposed therein. Consequently, especially when difl'erent kinds and sizes of articles are being loaded into the respective crates, there is no way of determining with any substantial and then separately conveyed thereto by degree of accuracy whether the two crates when loaded will be of approximately the same weightunless after loading ea'ch crate is separately weighed and the loads then adjusted until they are brought into conformity, all of which requires a considerable ex enditure of time and labor with resulting e ancement of production costs. On the other hand, if the crates are simply loaded without weighing, transported to the tanks and then suspended therein, it is a matter of considerable difficulty to readjust the loads thereafter if it be found that the machine is in unbalanced condition as the articles are now immersed in the usually -acid pickling solution from which they cannot well be withdrawn unless the machine is stopped and tongs or other suitable instruments utilized to remove as many of the articles as may be necessary to bring about the desired balanced condition. Machines of the companion-tank type are also undesirable when only small amounts or batches of articles are to be pickled, for the initial cost of installation due to the necessity of providing two tanks and means for delivering sufiicient operating power to take care of operation under slightly unbalanced conditions is relatively high while, for the reasons just pointed out, each batch of material must; be accurately divided when loading into the two separate crates.

' Moreover, machines in which an arcuate as distinguished from a rectilinear movement is imparted to the crate are frequently undesirable, particularly when pickling sheets, as the outermost sheets in the sheet packs which are disposed on their edges in the crate or basket are frequently scratched or abraded by contact with the sides thereof or the other means by which they are retained therein through the lateral motion imparted to the sheets as they are moved through the fluid in the pickling tank.

A principal object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a pickling machine'not open to the disadvantages to which reference has just been made and which, therefore, may be satisfactorily operated with a minimum expenditure of power and without the necessity of balancing loads with substantial accuracy.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a machine of this character which may be installed and thereafter operated at a minimum of expense, which is so constructed as to satisfactorily perform the duties for which it is intended under the conditions of use to which machines of this general character are necessarily subjected without requiring frequent repair of parts, and which is effective to raise and lower 1n :1 rectilinear path the articles which are 1muicrsed in the pickling solution.

A still further object of the inventionas the provision in a pickling machine comprisin; but a single pickling tank, of means for balancing the load imposed on the machine by the crate and articles contained therein when suspended in the tank, either prior to the machine being put in operation after such suspension has beenefi'ected or even during the operation of the machine, with the result that the machine may at all times be kept in properly balanced condition and thus effective to operate smoothly and with a minimum expenditure of power.

The invention further contemplates a novel arrangement and disposition of the means employed for suspending the crate from its carrier whereby the load is so imposed on the latter as to permit the use of a lighter carrier than has heretofore been possible when a crate containing an equal load has been suspended in the manner heretofore generally employed.

Other objects, advantages and novel features of design, construction and arrange-' ment comprehended by my invention are hereinafter more particularly mentioned orv will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of a machine constructed in accordance therewith and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the machine; Fig. 2 an end elevation of the machine; Fig. 3 a transverse section thereof substantially on the line 3-3 in Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows, and Fig. 4 a fragmentary detail end view, partially in section, of a portion of the auxiliary counterweight actuating mechanism. Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are enlarged fragmentary detail views showing the means preferably emploved for suspending the carrier from the rocker arms, Fig. 5 being a front elevation partially broken away into section, Fig. 6 a side elevation and Fig. 7 a top plan View thereof. Like symbols of reference are used to designate the same parts in the several figures.

Referring now more particularly to said drawings, the machine therein shown comprises a single elongated rectangular tank 1 of suitable size and construction; this tank is open at the top and is supported on a base 2 preferably of concrete which, together with the pedestals herein-after referred to, may be disposed in a pit extending below the floor line FF of the building in which the machine is housed, a considerable portion of the tank being desirably below the said line. This tank is adapted to contain the pickling liquid and to receive the crate, generally designated as C, in which the articles to be pickled are supported during the pickling operation. The crate may be of usual construction andthus comprise an elongated rectangular bottom or platform 3 of suitable length and width to readily enter the tank and provided along its side edges with longitudinally spaced, vertically extending posts 4 for confining the material or articles on the platform. The crate is removably supported from a carrier 5 by rods 6 having eyes turned into their respective ends and extending from hooks or eyes 7 -at the .sides of the platform to hooks 8 secured to and extending oppositely from the carrier -5 whlch 1s desirably an I-beam. The preferred arrangement and disposition of the rods and hooks with which their ends are connected will hereinafter be more particularly described.

The carrier 5 is of sufficient length to extend beyond the ends of the tank in either direction and at each of its ends is provided with a cylindrical stub shaft 10 securely fastened at its inner end to the web of the beam, conveniently by slotting the shaft to form a jaw for the reception of the web and then riv eting or welding the shaft in place; these stub shafts are respectively operatively removably supported from the adjacent extremities of the rocker arms 12 of which two are provided and respectively disposed adjacent the opposite ends of the tank and a little outside thereof so that the arms extend parallel to each other and transversely of the tank, the means preferably employed for effecting the said support being hereinafter more fully described. Each rocker arm is secured substantially midway of its ends on a longitudinally extending horizontally disposed rock shaft 15, the ends of which are journaled for rotation in bearings 16 of any suitable type respectively mounted on supports 17 in turn carried by pedestals 18 arranged on the bottom of the pit. For steadying the shaft and eliminating any whipping or disalignment thereof, additional bearings 19 may be provided at longitudinally spaced intervals between the end bearings and respectively supported on pillars 20 extending down into the pit and there supported on suitable pedestals.

Disposed on each rocker arm adjacent the end thereof opposite to that which supports the carrier, and which for convenience may be termed its rear end, is a counterweight 25;

' the motor is in operation to oscillate theif desired these counterweights may be arranged for adjustment along the arms to facilitate approximate counterbalancing of loads of widely variant weight but after being once adjusted are thereafter maintained in fixedposition on their res ective arms b any suitable means such as olts 26 exten ing transversely through the weights and arms.

For imparting the requisite'oscillation to the rocker arms, the rear end of each arm is connected through the medium of a pitman 27 with a crank 28 on a crank shaft 29 extending parallel to the rock shaft 15 and journaled in suitable bearings 30 supported on pedestals 31 extending down into t crank shaftbeing connected at one end'with a driving motor M preferably through the medium of a reduction gear G of any suitable form, and both motor and gear being suitably supported on a baseor pedestal 32. Un-' der usual conditions and with loads of the weight customary in picklin operations in the steel industry a. motor 0 approximately 5 H. P. is entirely adequate to supply necessary power for running the machine.

It will thus be apparent that the mechanism heretofore described is effective when rocker arms about the ivotalaxis formed by the rock shaft 15 with resultant raising and lowering of the crate and the contained load in the ickling liquid within the tank.

In accordance with the present invention means now to be described'are provided for properly balancing the machine with the nicety requisite to secure the desired smoothness of operation and minimum consumption of power after the carrier with the loaded crate suspended therefrom has been operatively suspended from the forward ends of the rocker arms, said means bein of such character and construction as to readily operable either before the machine is set in operation or while it is running to thereby secure the requisite degree of balance under the conditions existing in connection with each particular load.

More specifically, said means in their preferred embodiment comprise an auxiliary counterweight 35 desirably of cylindrical form and provided at its ends with axially extending shafts 35 of suitable diameter to properly sustain the weight imposed upon them. The body of the auxiliary counterweight is positioned between apair of arms 36 respectively mounted in longitudinally spaced relation uponthe rock shaft 15 so as to extend therefrom in a generally horizontal plane at ri ht angles to its axis and away from the tank, t e arms thus lying parallel to and substantially in the same plane as those portions of the rocker arms 12 to which the counterweights 25 are secured. These arms are rigidly positioned on the rock shaft 15 in e pit, the

the

any manner effective to insure their turning therewith under all conditions,for example and as shown, -by providing each arm with a boss at its inner end suitably bored for the passage of the'rock shaft and securing it to the latter by a set screw 37 and key 38.

Each of the arms 36 is provided on its upper face with a series of teeth forming a rack 40 and at the end of each stub shaft on the auxiliary counterweight a pinion 41, adapted for cooperation with the adjacent rack, is keyed or otherwise secured so as to turn with the counterweight. For effecting movement of the auxiliary counterweight along the racks in eitherdirection an actuating screw 42 is disposed above and preferably about in alignment with one of the racks and rotatably supported in vertically projecting brackets 43 and 44 carried by and desirably integral with the subj acent arm, the screw being restrained from axial movement in any convement way as by pins 45 extended through the screw on opposite sides ofthe bracket 43, washers 46 being desirably interposed between the ins and the adjacent faces of the bracket. hand wheel 47 is mounted on the rear end of the screw to provide a convenient means for effecting its rotation.

The screw carries a block 48 which is trans-.

of the screw; this block depends below the screw and loosely fits about the adjacent stub shaft on the auxiliary counterweight as best shown in Fig. 4 with the result that as the screw s rotated by means of the hand wheel so as to move the block longitudinally of the screw, thecounterweight in turn is moved along the racks and, through the engagement of the pinion teeth therewith, is prevented from getting out of proper alignment or, in other words, throughout the movement of the counterweight in either direction, the coaction of the pini'ons and racks maintains the axis of the counterweight substantially parallel to that of the rock shaft 15 and at right angles to the racks. Thus by suitable adjustment'of the auxiliary counterweight the load on the opposite side of the rock shaft 15 may be very exactly counterbalanced about said axis either before the machine is placed in operation or even after it is running; consequently by moving the auxiliary counterweight in one direction or the other in accordance with the conditions obtaining in connection with each particular batch of articles being pickled, maximum smoothness of operation with resultant minimization of wear and tear on the bearings and other parts of the machine may be readily obtained and the power required for its operation correspondingly reduced.

To enable the carrier with the crate suspended therefrom to be moved about the plant by means of a crane or other suitable on the rocker arms and removal therefrom with a maximum of. convenience, a lifting yoke is disposed above the center of the carrier and secured at its ends to clips 51 extending transversely of the carrier and ribveted or welded to its upper face prefera l whi ch the crate is suspended.

In Figs. 5, 6-and 7 I have illustrated in greater detail the means I prefer to employ for supporting the carrier from the rocker arms in such a way that it can readily be placed in or removed from operative position thereon, said means being also effective to cause the carrier and its attached crate to travel in a rectilinear path as it is moved up and down by the action of the rocker arms. More particularly, as best shown in said figures, each rocker arm is provided with a head 60, preferably integral with the arm, and having a generally vertically extending T-shaped groove 61 in its outer face adapted to receive a short length of chain 62. .The uppermost link 62' of this chain is attached to the head of the rocker arm by means of a transversely extending pin 63 while the lower link 62" is similarly attached, as by, a. pin 64, to a carrier block generally designated as 65. The groove 61 is so formed, as best shown in Fig. 7 as to properly receive the links of the chain while its bottom conforms to an arc whose center is coincident with the center of oscillation of the shaft 15 and thus of the rocker arms.

The carrier block 65 is provided with spaced cheeks 66 between which the link 62" of the chain is received and through which the pin 64 extends as well as with an inwardly directed extension 67 which is cut out to provide a half bearing 68 for the stub shaft 10 of the carrier and into which it can readily be disposed when it is lowered into operative position between the rocker arms. The carrier block is also provided with an outwardly directed stud 69 desirably surrounded by a. flanged bushing 69, and both stud and bushing'are extended through an opening 70 in a depending lug or plate 71 carried by the head of the rocker arm and either integral therewith or rigidly secured thereto, the stud and bushing being maintained in proper position by a washer 72 and cotter pin 73. The opening 70 in the plate is,.as best shown in Fig. 6,

- of elliptical form with its major axis extending horizontally so as to allow the stud and bushing to move laterally in either direction during the motion of the rocker arm, sufliciently to permit the lower end of the chain to hang vertically at all times. Within the amplitude of oscillation of which the rocker arms are capable, the lower end of the chain is thus free to hang perpendicularly and moves at all times in a rectilinear path and the carrier and crate correspondingly so, with the result that the sheets or other articles dissubstantially above the hooks 8 from posed on the crate are not subjected in their movement through the pickling liquid to lateral displacement which would tend to throw the outermost sheets forcibly against the sides of the crate with consequent damage to their finish.

It will be noted from an inspection of Fig. 1 that the eyes 7 engaged by the lower ends of the rods 6 by which the crate is suspended are preferably located between the ends of the platform and the center thereof instead of being dis osed adjacent the ends of the platform, an that the hooks 8 with which the upper ends of the suspending rods engage are located a greater distance apart, measured longitudinally, and thus nearer the ends of the carrier, than are the eyes 7; in consequence, the supporting rods 6 at each end of the crate respectively incline from the eyes 7 longitudinally outward toward the adjacent end of the carrier. The distance between each carrier bearing in the rocker arms and the adjacent point on the carrier at which the crate is supported is thus minimized with corresponding shortening of the carrier moment arm, in consequence of which it is unnecessary to make the carrier of as heavy construction as would be necessary were the supporting rods for the platform arranged to extend vertically or longitudinally inclined oppositely inward from the ends of the platform toward the center of the carrier in accordance with the common practice. Thus, by disposing the hooks forming the points of support for the crates as near as conveniently may be to the points of support of the carrier, I am enabled to materially reduce the size and weight of the latter with consequent decrease in initial cost and economization in the power required bothfor operating the machine and for transferring the carrier and crate about the plant.

In he operation of the machine, the articles .to b' r pickled are disposed on the platformo'f the crate at any suitable point in the plant: the crate is .then attached to the carrier and both crate and carrier transported to the machine by means of a crane or other means engaged with the yoke 50 and the carrier then lowered until the stub shafts 10 on its ends are properly seated in the half hearings in the carrier blocks 65 adjacent the ends of the rocker arms so as to immerse the articles in the pickling solution in the tank. The auxiliary counterweight is then adjusted by means of the hand wheel 47 until the machine is balanced with approximate accuracy, after which the power is turned on so as to actuate the rocker arms and thereby raise and lower the crate in the tank. Such further adjustment of the position of the auxiliary counterweight-as is required to properly balance the machine may now be made while the machine is running and the machine thereafter continued in'operation until the pickling of platform are desirably shortened so that the platform and the pipes disposed thereon will rest in the tank in inclined position, while to prevent the pipes from sliding cndwise out of the crate a perforated screen or other restraining means is secured across the lower end of the platform to form a stop for the lower ends of the pipes. Thus as the crate is raised and lowered in the tank the pipes are alternately filled and emptied with the solution so as to thoroughly pickle their interiors.

While I have herein described one embodiment of my invention with considerable particularity, I do not thereby desire or intend to specifically limit or confine myself thereto as numerous changes and modifications may i be made in the details of design, construction and arrangement of the various parts if desired without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. I

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States I 1. A pickling machine, comprising a tank, an arm mounted for oscillation adjacent each end of the tank, means for vertically oscillating said arms, a carrier removably disposed on the ends of the arms adjacent the tank and extending therebetween, a counterweight disposed on the opposite side of the axis of oscillation of said arms from that on which the carrier is disposed, and means for adjustably positioning said counterweight with relation to said axis to thereby balance the loads on the opposite sides thereof.

2. A pickling machine, comprising a tank, a pair of a/rms respectively disposed adjacent the ends of the tank and arranged for vertical oscillation about a horizontal axis, means interconnected with the ends of the arms remote from the tank for oscillating the arms, a carrier adapted to support'a pickling crate removably disposed on the other ends of the arms and extending there-' between, and a counterweight on the oppo-' site side of said axis from said carrier and adjustable to and from said axis to counterbalance the load imposed upon said arms by said carrier and attached parts.

3. A pickling machine, comprising a tank, a rock shaft extending horizontally adjacent the tank, a pair of rocker arms secured on said shaft and extending in opposite directions therefrom with one end of each arm disposed adjacent the tank, means for vertically oseillatin said rocker arms about the axis of the sha t, a carrier removably dis posed on those ends of the arms adjacent the tank and extending therebetween, a crate suspended from the carrier, and means carriedby and movable with the shaft and including a counterweight adjustable to and from the shaft for counterbalaneing about said axis the load imposed on the rocker arms by the carrier and crate.

4. A pickling machine, comprising a tank, a rock shaft disposed adjacent the tank, a pair of rocker arms respectively mounted on the shaft and extending transversely of the tank adjacent its ends, a' carrier removably sus ended from the rocker arms above the tan a crate supported from the carrier and] depending into the tank, means interconnected with the rocker arm for oscillating said arms vertically about the .axis of the rock shaft, a pair ofarms secured to and'extending from said shaft in longitudinally spaced relation, a-counterweight supported by said arms, and means for. adjustably positioning said counterweight at different distances from the axis of said shaft to thereby substantially counterbalance the load imposed on the' rocker arms by the carrier when the latter is in position thereon.

- 5. A picklin machine, comprising a tank, a rock shaft isposed adjacent one side of the tank, a pair of rocker arms mounted on the shaft intermediate of their'ends and respectively extending transversely of the tank, a carrier removably suspended above the tank from those ends of the rocker arms adjacent thereto, a crate supplorted from the carrier and dependinginto t e tank, means interconnected with the other ends of the rocker arms for oscillating said arms vertically about the axis of the rock shaft, a pair of longitudinally s aced arms secured to and extending from t e rock shaft in-a. direction enerally opposite to those portions of the rodker arms which su port the carrier, a counterweight disposed tween and supported from said longitudinally spaced arms, and means for moving the counterweight in either direction along said arms to any desired position of adustment and operative to thereafter maintain it therein. 6. A pickling machine, comprising a tank,

' a rock shaft disposed adjacent one side of the tank, a pair of rocker arms mounted on the shaft intermediate of their ends and respecfrom those ends of the rocker arms adjacent thereto, a crate supported from the carrier and depending into the tank, means interconnected with the other ends of the rocker arms for oscillating said armsvertically about the axis of the rock shaft, a pair oflongitudinally spaced arms secured to and extending from the rock shaft in a direction counterweight disposed between said arms generally opposite to those portions of the rocker arms whichsnpport the carrier, a

a rock shaft disposed adjacent one side of the tank, a pair of rocker'arms mounted on the shaft intermediate of their ends and respectively extending transversel of the tank, a carrier removably suspended a ove the tank from those ends of the rocker arms adjacent thereto, a crate supported from the carrier and depending into the tank, means interconnected with the rocker arms for oscillating said arms vertically about the axis of the rock shaft, a pair of spaced arms secured to and extending from the rock shaft in the opposite direction from the carrier, a

and provided at each end with a pinion, said pinions and counterweight being rotatable about a common axis, a rack carried by each arm and cooperative with the adjacent pinion, and means for moving the counterweight toward and away from the rock shaft along said arms.

8. A pickling machine, comprising a tank, a rock shaft disposed adjacent one side of the tank, a pair of rocker arms mounted on the shaft intermediate of their ends and respectively extendingtransversely of the tank, a carrier removably suspended above the tank from the rocker arms, a crate supported from the carrier and depending into the tank, means interconnected with the rocker arms for oscillating said arms vertically about the axis of the rock shaft, a pair of longitudinally spaced arms secured to and extending fromthe rock shaft in a direction generally opposite to those portions of the rocker arms which support the carrier, a counterweight dis osed between said arms, a pinion at each en of the counterweight, a rack on each arm adapted to cooperate with the adjacent pinion, and means comprising an adjusting screw extending adjacent one of said longitudinally spaced arms and a movable block cooperative therewith and with the counterweight for moving said counterweight along the arms and maintaining it in any desired position of adjustment thereon.

9. In a pickling machine comprising a pair] of oscillatory rocker arms and-a carrier adapted for operative disposition therebetween,

means for removably supporting the carrier from the arms comprising a head carried by each arm, a chain attached at its upper end to the head, a carrier block attached to the lower end of the chain and providing a hearing for the carrier and means carried by the head and forming a guide in which the block may move relatively to the head during the ried by each arm and having an arcuate groove in its face the center of curvature of said groove being coincident with the axis of oscillation of the arms, a chain disposed in said groove and attached at its upper end to the head, a carrier block attached to the lower end of the chain and providing a bearing for the carrier and means carried by the head and forming a guide in which the block may move relatively to the head during the oscillation of the arms in direct-ions and for distances requisite to permit the lower end of the chain to hang vertically.

11. In a pickling machine comprising a pair of longitudinally spaced vertically oscillatory rocker arms and a carrier adapted for operative disposition between said arms, means for removably supporting the carrier from the arms comprising a head carried by each arm and provided with a groove in its outer face having its bottom conforming to an arc whose center is coincident with the axis of oscillation of the arms, a chain disposed in said groove, meansfor securing the upper end of the chain to the upper end of the head, a carrier block suspended from the lower end of the chain andproviding a bearing for the adjacent end of the carrier arm, an apertured lug carried by the head and depending therebelow in alignment with the block and a stud carried by the block, extending through the aperture and capable of suflicient movement therein to allow the chain to hang vertically from the head throughout the movement of oscillation of the arms.

12. A pickling machine comprising a tank, a rocker arm mounted for oscillation adjacent each end of the tank, means for vertically oscillating said arms, a carrier adapted to 0peratively extend between said arms, means for removably suspending the carrier from said arms and adapted to allow the carrier to move in a rectilinear path during the oscillation of the arms, a cmmterweight disposed on'the opposite side of the axis of oscillation of said arms from that on which the carrier is disposed and means for adjustably positioning said counterweight with relation tosaid axis to thereby balance the loads on the opposite side thereof.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 6th day of September, 1929.

CHARLES T. HAIN ES. 

